Chloé

Chloé has been struggling to get its mojo back since Phoebe Philo departed, which is rather a long time ago now. After several swift turns of the revolving door in the design studio, Hannah MacGibbon is now at the desk, and after a somewhat rushed and skimpy debut last season, she's showing signs of getting a grip. What came out for Fall was a soft version of the early eighties, all big blanket coats, high-waisted fluid pants, wrapped belts, and, for evening, a much-needed dose of the easy glamour Chloé has been missing.

MacGibbon said she'd found her bearings by looking at illustrations by Antonio Lopez. For day, she passed through khaki, beige, and loden coatings, pleated pants, and suede shorts (she's a girl who loves them), supplying enough realistic pieces to give buyers something to go on. But it was the eveningwear that took off. Her dark green velvet pants cuffed with crystal and the slouchy black velvet overalls hit a nice semi-casual note for girls who have the confidence to walk into a party in flats (albeit pretty special ones, with bows and sparkle attached). As MacGibbon notched up the formality with a one-shouldered black velvet jumpsuit with a drapey wide-hip, narrow-ankle silhouette bound with a satin cummerbund, she was hitting a spot that evoked something of Saint Laurent. There were probably too many drifty, semi-sheer dresses, but generally, this show put Chloé back on a firmer footing, especially in the footwear department. A pair of frill-cuffed, dark green suede, thigh-high pirate boots just have it in them to cause a Chloé It-object sensation, just like the old days.